CIS, Google Partner to Help Secure Public Sector

The Center for Internet Security and Google are partnering to create the CIS & Google Cloud Alliance to help advance security and resilience for the broader technology ecosystem, with an emphasis on the public sector.

According to the organizations, the alliance will combine the companies’ experience to offer greater security to public sector entities. The Center for Internet Security (CIS) brings 20 years of helping U.S. state, local, tribal and territorial governments secure their infrastructure against cyber threats, and Google brings its experts and services from its Cybersecurity Action Team. In addition, Google brings insights from its Threat Horizons reports and resources from cyber forensics subsidiary Mandiant.

CIS also brings its established and globally recognized security frameworks, including the CIS Critical Security Controls and CIS Benchmarks, as well as operating the Multi-State and Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (MS-ISAC and EI-ISAC) that supports the security needs of state, local, tribal and territorial governments.

As part of Google’s recent strategy around cybersecurity, Google Cloud is now partnering with industry organizations in other sectors like healthcare and financial services. The company also introduced its Google Public Sector division focused on helping U.S. public sector institutions – including federal, state, and local governments, and educational institutions – accelerate their digital transformations.

According to the announcement, the organizations say this makes them “uniquely positioned to support organizations through the complexities of their digital transformations.”

In a statement, Gina Chapman, executive vice president of sales and business services at CIS, says the partnership combines two cybersecurity powerhouses and applies them to the underserved community of public sector organizations.

“The cybersecurity needs of the public sector demand best-in-class, cost-effective solutions that include implementation and operational support, and we look forward to how we can work together to support this community,” Chapman says.

MK Palmore, director of the officer of the CISO at…